Means for controlling automobiles.



PATENTEDTEB. 19, 1907. W'. G. GROBSBBGK & G. S. RADFORD. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 844,863. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. W. G. GROBSBEOK & G. S. RADFORD. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION P ILED JULY 18, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

\ No." 844,863. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. W. G. GROESBEGK-& G. S. RADPORD.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WILLLDI (JROESBECK AND GEORGE S. RADFORD, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Anniieation filed July 18 1906. sci-m1 No. 326.753.

.To all whom it 12mg concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM G. Gnons- BECK. and Gnonen S. Rnnrono, citizens of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State .of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling Automobiles; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in means for controlling automobiles; and the object of our invention is to provide means whereby the driving-gear may be disengaged from tie engine and the speed of the drive varied or reversed, all by the movement of a single lever, and also to provide means whereby by the movement of a single lever the driving-gear may be disengaged from the engine and the emergency-brake applied.

A further object is to provide means whereby the throttle-valve may be operated in connection with one of said levers.

With these obj cts in view our invention consists in the construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of an automobile, showing our invention ap lied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view showing tie means for governing the transmitting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the connections between the operating-levers and the gear changing mechanisms. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the mechanism for governing the throttle-talve.v Fig. 6 is a crosssectional view showing the coupling connecting the two portions of the driving-shaft. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the mechanism for disengaging the parts of the friction-drive mechanism.

(1. represents the ordinary iron frame; Z), the driving-shaft; c, the fly-wheel (Z, the engine having the exhaust e and inlet-valves], and (1 represents the throttle-valve governing ti o inlet of earbureted air to the cylinders. The driving-shaft is made in two sections, as shown in Fig. 6, the part b terminating in a squared'end 71, which engages a square open,-

ing in one member 41 of a coupling, the other member 7' of which is fastenedto the other portion ll: of the driving-shaft.

The parts i and j are connected together by means of bolts m, fastened to the member j and passing loosely through holes 7L in the member 'i. Springs 0 normally keep the membcrsi and 7' mil 0 position shown in Fig. 6 but space is afforded whereby the part of the shaft may be moved toward the part b. The part it of the shaft is provided with acollar p, fastened thereto and best shown in Fig. 8, and loosely mounted on said shaft k are two cam members 9 and 1", each provided with teeth, such as vs, which intermesh with each other. The part 1 is attaclcd to or made integral with the cross-beam t, forming a part of the frame of the machine. The shaft 7i terminates in a wheel u, wlich forms one member of a friction -gcaring. This wheel is preferably covered on one face with a covering of leather t.

The wheel a is adapted to engage the friction-wheel 71],.IITOUI1t6d on the shaft The wheel to is slidably mounted on the shaft it, but is splined thereto, so that the wheel and shaft revolve together. 1 represents sprocketchains, by which the notion is transmitted from the shaft 11) to the driving-axle.

It is evident from the construction described that a nfovenient of the n ember Q will, by 1r cans of the teeth 8, force the 111cmber g to the right, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, against the tension of the springs 0, thereby disengaging the friction-wheels u and w, so that the notion of the engine will not he transniitted to the shaft it. After this disengageirent the wheel w may be easily shifted, by nieans hereinafter described, so as to vary or reverse the speed.

The ireniber q is shifted by the following nicans: To the top of this member is ati tached a pin 1, and a link 2 or wire-rope connection runs from said pin and is pivoted to the lower end of the lever 53, which lever is pivoted at 1 on a sleeve 5, mounted in the franie of the 1r aehine. The lever 23, therefore, is capable of two motions at right angles to each other, the first TiTOiiOIl moving the link 2 or wire-rope connection, and thereby the ir einlzer q, thus disengaging the wheels u and w from each other, and then is ca able ofanother notion in a direction at rig it angles to the former rrotion, whereby the sleeve 5 is rocked and the wheel to adjusted along the from the wheel 20.

face of the wheel a for the purpose of changing the speed or reversing the driving-gear. This shifting of the wheel we is accomplished by the following nteans:

T'ivoted to the sleeve 5 is 21. depending arm 6, and t0 the lower end of this arm is pivoted a link 7, which link is at the other end pivoted to one end of a bell-crank lever S, which is pivoted at 9 on the frame of the 1r achine, the other end of said lever terminating in a fork 10, which engages a sleeve 11, made integral with the wheel w.

From the construction described it is obvious that a notion of the lever 3 in such a direction as to rock the sleeve 5 will also 1r ove the wheel to across the face of the wheel it. Thus by means of a single lever the parts of the drivinggear may be disengaged from each other and the gearing shifted.

12 represents a double curved rack, which is provided with a series of teeth 13, with which the lever 3 is adapted to engage. The lever 3 is also provided with a catch 14, operated by a spring 15, and a hand-clip 16 in-the usual way, so that it will hold the lever 3 in any one of several possiole positions.

When it is desired to change or to reverse the speed, the lever 3 is shifted from the position shown in Fig. 3, the hand-clip 16 being first operated to disengage the stop from the teeth. This ntoverrent to the rightdisengages the lever 3 from the teeth 13 and at the sane tine by nicans of the connections already described lllOVOS away the wheel a from the wheel 20. By nzoving the lever 3 hack and forth the wheel w 111 ay then'be adjusted to different positions on we wheel it, thus varying the speed or reversing the gear. When the desired adjustnient has been attained, the lever 3 is lroved to the left, thus causingit to engage with the teeth 13, and the hand-clip 16 released, thus locking the lever in the adjusted position. Means are also provided whereby the setting of the en ergency-brake will also disengage the wheel it It is designed, of course, to use the ordinary foot-brake, (not shown but it often happens that an emergencybrake is desirable.

17 represents the emergency-brake lever, which is connected by means (not shown) to any suitable brake. (Not shown.) The emergency-lever -17 is pivoted at 18 on 'a shaft 19, which passes through the frame of the machine. The emergency-brake is therefore capable of two motions, a rocking motion on the shaft 19 and another motion at right angles thereto, by means of which the einergency-brake .is applied. To the lower end of the brake-lever 17 is attached a link 20 or wire-rope connection, the other and of which passes over the pin 1. v The link 20 is provided with a slot 21, so that the. member 9 may be operated without the operation of the emergency brake, if desired.

The rack 12 is. providedwitha series of teeth 22, and the'lever 17 provided with a stop 23, a link 24, a spring 25', and a hand clip 26 of the usual construction. In the operation of thisemeigencybrake lever the. hand-clip 26 is operated, disengaging the stop 23 from the teeth 22, the lever 17 moved to the right from the position shown in Fig. 3, thus disengaging the wheel to from the wheel It, and the brake-lever 17 is then pushedfor- Ward, setting the emergency-brake by' any suitable means. Thus it Wlll be seen that before the emergency-brake is set the engine is disengaged from'the driving-gear, a result greatly to be desired. Thus by the movement of a single lever the engine is disen gaged from the driving-gear and the emergency-brake set.

-The construction described covers the application of our invention'to a friction-drive type of car. It is evident from this construction that it is equally applicable to any gear driven car.- For such a car the application of our invention would be precisely the same as shown in the drawings, except that instead of transmitting motion to the shaft it through the links 2 and 20 and the members r and g, whereby the friction-wheels u and w are separated, the movement of the links 2 and '20 and the conseqwnt operation of the members 2- and Q could be applied to separate the parts of the friction-gear ordinarily provided in gear-driven cars, and thus cut out the engine from the driven shaft, substantially as is now done by the foot-pedal in ordinary use. Our device may be used with either type of car in conjunction with or as asubstitute for the foot-pedah Means are also provided on the emergency-brake lever for operating the throttle-valve. To this throttle-valve g is connected a link 27, the other end of said link being connected to the downwardlyprojecting portion 28 of a crank 29, which passes through the shaft 19. This crank has an npwardly-extending sector-shaped portion 31, having a rack 32 along its upper edge. With the rack 32 meshes a pinion 33, carried on the end of a shaft 34, which is pro: vided at its upper end With a milled end 35. The shaft 34 passes centrally down through the top of said lever 17 in convenient position to be reached by the operator.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automobile, the combination of an engine, a two-part driving-shaft coupled to said engine, a friction-wheel carried by one of the parts of said driving-shaft, a driven shaft provided with a friction-wheel for engaging with said first-named frictionwheel, cam members through which one part of said shaft passes, one of said cam members being carried by the frame of the machine, a lever for operating the other of said cam members, thereby disengaging saii d fricticruvhecls from each other, and connect-ions whereby the movement of said lever .in a certain direction shifts one of said frictionwlniels "slat rely to the other, substantially as described.

in an automobile, the combination of an cng a two-part driving-shaft coiu'iled thereto, spring-controlled coupling con necting the parts of said driving-shaft, a frictionwheel carried by one end of said driving-shaft, a driven. shaft, a friction-wheel splined on said driven shaft, but movable thereon, cam members through which one part of said shaft loosely passes, an operatinglever, connections between said operatingfever and one of said cam members, and connections between said lever and the frictionwhecl on the driven shaft, substantially as described.

3. In an automobile, the combination of an engine, a two-part drivin -shaft coupled thereto, friction-wheel carried at one end of said shaft, a driven shaft, a friction-wheel mounted on said driven shaft and normally in contact with said first-named frictionwheel, a two-part cam through which said driving-shaft loosely passes, an emergencybralre fever, and connections between said emergency-brake lever and one part of said cam, whereby by the movement of said lever the friction-wheels maybe dscngaged from each other, and'b an additional movement of said lever the emergency-brake may be applied, substantially as described.

at. In an automobile, the combination of an en ine, a two-part shaft coupled thereto, a frictionnvheel secured on one end of said shaft, a driven shaft having a friction-wheel sldably mounted thereon and normally in contact wth sad first-named friction-wheel, a two-part cam, one of the members of which is fixed and the other movable, through wh ch cam said shaft loosely passes, a lever for operating the. movable member of said can], thereby dsengagng said fractionwheels, an emergency-brake lever, and a l nk;

connected wth said emergency-brake lever and said movable cam member so that said member may be moved either by the operating-lever when it is des'red to vary or reverse the speed or by the emergency-brake lever to disengage the parts of the drivinggear from each other before the emergencybrake is appted, substantially as described. 5. In an automobrle, the combination of an engine, a throttle-valve therefor, a twopart driving-shaft coupled to said engine, said shaft belng provided at one end with a friction-wheel, a driven shaft provided with a friction-wheel slidably mounted thereon, a cam having one fixed member and one movable member through which said driving-shaft loosely passes, an emergencyl ral e lever, connections between i the movable member of said cam and said emergencybrake lever, and means carried by said emergency-brake lever for governing said tln'ottle-valve, substantially as described.

6. In an automoble, the combination of an engine, a two-part drivin -shaft coupled thereto, one of said parts elng movable in relat;on to the other, a friction-wheel carrled at the end of said shaft, a two-part cam one member of which is fixed and the other movable, through which-cam said drivingshaft loosely passes, a driven shaft having a friction-wheel slidably mounted thereon, an operating-lever, means whereby the movement of sa1d lever in two directions first disengages said friction-Wheels from each other and then shifts one of them relatively to the other, and means for locking said lever in any one of several positions, substantially as described.

7. in an automobile, the combination of an engine, a throttle-valve therefor, an emergency-brake lever, means for locking said lever, and means for operating the throttle-valve carried by said emergencybrake lever, and including a rod provided with a milled head and a pinion, a crank provided with a sector-shaped gear meshing with said pinion, and a connection between said crank and said throttle-valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM .G. GROESBECK. GEORGE S; RADFORD.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES McCoMIsKEY, RALPH W. DUNBAR. 

